what I am listening to (a lot)

I've been hot on Animal Collective's latest, of course, but I've been mixing in a lot of other stuff, too. The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs is pretty cool. A quality mix of upbeat synth-y dance and more conventional rock. Very polished sound. Passion Pit is another group I recently took a liking to. They have this wacko sound that is upbeat but just plain weird. The singer has this over-the-top falsetto that is bizarrely catchy. I am not sure if I ever mentioned how much I liked Andrew Bird's Noble Beast album either. I keep coming back to it. Quality songs all around. Crystal Castles self-titled album also snared me recently in a very guilty-pleasure way. Wacky arcade game sound samples with catchy beats. When the woman opens up with her crazy voice it goes to another level. It is just awesome. I see it as total love it or hate it.

On the evil-internets front, I have heard the new Metric and Grizzly Bear albums. They are both excellent. Oh the things on these tubes.  And later this week: the new Decemberists!

Merriweather Post Pavillion = AWESOME

I've been a casual Animal Collective fan, but this album makes me look at the group in a whole new light. Past albums have had their bright spots, but songs would often fall apart into wild sound (purposely, I am sure). Made for a neat listen now and then, but also made it hard to get really into consistently. MPP can be eclectic and just plain weird, too, but what sets it apart is how none of it ruins the tracks or gets annoying. And when it all comes together the strange-ness of it all enhances everything in a crazy way. No hitting the "next" button here either. Musically, every song has something to offer. I really can't get enough of it. 

Standout tracks are hard to pick. "Summertime Clothes" easily jumps out of the gate as the best song, but subsequent listens have loving "Daily Routine" and "Bluish" just as much. Search the net, however, and see that nearly every track is on a favorite list by someone.

It is just so good.

Saw Metallica, saw Black Keys

I saw Metallica the night before the Super Bowl (easy to remember that way) at the Prudential Center. Was a last minute thing; could say I was an alternate. Found out a few hours before that my Saturday night would be better than most. Driving wasn't an issue; my wife came through in the clutch, so we had many a beverage. Prudential Center wasn't as loony as I thought it would be. I was set to see wild-ass metal fans, but it was more or less like any other show I've been to. I guess that's what happens when Metallica fans get old enough to be grandparents (Wikipedia has them forming in 1981).

Our seats were great. I am not sure there were bad seats, though. The rectangular stage in the center of the arena was very fan-friendly. The  show had all the quality trimmings--laser lights, fire balls, black balloons from the ceiling. And the music? Quality. I am hardly a model Metallica fan. I own Master of Puppets, S&M (I bough all kinds of stuff in high school, okay?) and Death Magnet (got just a couple weeks before the show). But I am very familiar with the Black Album, parts of Justice for All, and Ride the Lightning. About half the show was from Death Magnet. And, as far as I could tell, the other half pulled from the albums I mentioned (not named S&M). The arena was loud, but, thankfully, not deafening.  They played for about 2 hours and it was a great show.

Getting back to the crowd: not as crazy as I thought they would be. Everyone was pretty restrained. Far from the liveliest crowd I've been amongst. I only saw one tiny little mosh area down in the GA section, but it was contained. Before we got into the main seating area we did see one woman being hauled away--she could barely stand. I thought about how shitty it was to be her friend. To get that boozed up before the show even started! With tickets that tough/expensive to get? That is just dumb.

A week later my wife and I saw The Black Keys at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. I totally loved the album they put out last year, so I was particularly excited to see them. The thing is: the show was incredibly fucking loud. It hit a point where I really felt like I was going to die. Different parts of my body were vibrating at various times. This was old-school loud, with insane (and deliberate) feedback.  And it is only two guys on stage. I could barely hear any of the lyrics. It was cool, but I was simply unprepared for that kind of assault. I had not been to a show that insanely loud in years. And I just saw Metallica the week before.

Regardless of the brain damage from the Keys, it was a cool music week. I have subsequently been all over the music map listening to the new Franz Ferdinand CD (it's so-so), back on the Fleet Foxes, the checking out the new Andrew Bird CD, among lots of others. But that has been my deal for a couple months now. Very curious to see what new music is going to blow my mind this year; something always does.

Hype Machine – The Music of 2008

Few weeks back the Machine started dropping their best-of lists. In the album category (the only category that matters), each day 10 albums were revealed leading up to numero uno. I was checking on it for a few days, but then I (predictably) forgot to come back.  Just checked again earlier today, though, and the top is pretty good:

The Zeitgeist

I have 8/10. Beyond this I don’t feel like counting. Obviously, this means I am painfully cool and know what other cool kids like. My simple thoughts: M83 should not be anywhere near that high. MGMT only made a half awesome album (the first half). Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes don’t surprise me—alt country was huge this year. I was pleasantly surprised to see Vampire Weekend at 3; they put on a great show and have probably the better sound to stand the test of time. And TV on the Radio is on everyone’s list so big whoop.

Regardless of my thoughts, this is really cool because all of the albums can be listened to in their entirety. I loved just exploring. In addition to 50 albums, there are the 50 Songs and 50 Artists of the year. All of it is fun to check out. The internets are all about best-of lists (and music, videos and porn).

Nick Drake for 2 bucks

Amazon has this Nick Drake album for 2 dollars today here. Its just some chill layered acoustic stuff. Pretty cool though check it out if you have 2 dollars laying around.

2008 Favorite 5 Albums

Last day of the year, so I wanted to get down my 5 favorite albums this year. This is by no means a best of list, though, because I am sure there were better albums (not that I even known know how to qualify how a CD as being best). I also had to think hard (and check plays, purchases, etc) to get past my bias towards the back half of the year. Much easier to remember what I've loved the last few months, but I can't forget what I was hot on earlier. Anyway, here goes:

1. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges

          

 This album is awesome. I expected it to be very good because their previous album, Z, was my 2005 favorite, but this exceeded my expectations. They do a little of everything here: Prince homages, classic country, synth infusion. But it doesn't feel experimental or pretentious because it works.

2.Santogold: Santogold

        

This album caught me off guard. Had a lot of buzz back in the spring, so I snatched it up and then listened to it extensively. Great pop hooks, catchy beats and cool voice. She mixes it up, too, in style. Many of said she is a 2008 M.I.A, which, I suppose is fair. But I listened to Santogold much more than I did M.I.A...

       3. Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb Line

        

Wow-y, this one is good. Very, very catchy songs I can listen to on a loop. I saw them earlier this month with Vampire Weekend and it was excellent. Songs have driving beats that are, surprisingly, carried by violin work and a wonderful singer. I love every song on the album. Not really sure what else to say

      4. Kings of Leon: Only by the Night

       

My wife and I both got on the KOL wagon back when Aha Shake Heartbreak came out a few years ago. And I still think seeing them for the accompanying club tour was the best live performance I've ever been to; the crowd was insane and everyone was into whatever they played. This album, like Because of the Times, is more polished with bigger, more stadium-like tracks. But while hardcore fans (that obsess about being the only people in the know) pan this album, I like it a lot. I could care less if the group has gotten big (I actually like that they are getting some mainstream US attention because they deserve it). There may be a couple too many slow songs but it all sounds great regardless. They have grown as a band (and little by little, more of the songs have coherent lyrics!) and it's cool.

       5. The Mars Volta: The Bedlam in Goliath

       

Mars Volta is still my "favorite" band, and this album is excellent. It is also less "weird" when compared to Amputecture (or even Frances the Mute) from a couple years ago. They took a more basic approach with song structures here, too; no 20 minute epics that go on and on. The album is another concept, though, so each of the tracks lead into each other seamlessly. Still, this is hardly a group people casually like; the group likes smashing expectations, so songs still collapse into noise now and then, the singing still has impenetrable lyrics, and it is just loud and aggressive in its style. But, oh, how I love it.

+Honorable Mentions+

Wayne, The Black Keys, MGMT, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal and Vampire Weekend all put out terrific albums this year that I continue to listen to. But I don't want a bloated list and top 5 means some great stuff gets left out (Carter III really should be  number six though). It was another great year for music, and I can't wait to see what surprises come out in 2009.

Back on the Concert Train

Not that I ever got off it, but this season has been particularly good. In September we saw the Fratellis (my wife particularly likes them), then Mars Volta, and then in October it was Of Montreal. This past weekend we were able to attend a private All American Rejects show, for a sponsored video/product shoot (it was weird, but interesting--I'll write something up about it with links once I know more about what it all amounted to). Despite not being a fan, they sounded exactly like on their records. And it was a fancy place (Manhattan Center), with perfect lighting and sound.

Later today, I am excited as Hell to see Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot (!) in Montclair, which is practically my backyard. I totally owe this find to Last.fm, too; I checked my home page and they had recommened events. I saw Vampire Weekend tonight at the Wellmont Theatre and checked for the Hell of it; I had no idea where this was. A quick google map search surprised me--just a few minutes away, with tickets still available! Madness > point-and-click-"BUY NOW".

After this, the next big thing is going to be My Morning Jacket at Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve. This is going to be pandemonium, and I cannot wait. Along with Volta and Kings of Leon, MMJ is easily my favorite band playing today. I don't even know how to describe my excitement (struck mental). 

A good batch of concerts this season, to say the least.